Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hertfordshire and Manchester

For one person, living costs are similar in Hertfordshire and in Manchester: $2,499 and $2,499 a month, rent and utilities included.

121

Cost of Living Index in Hertfordshire
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Hertfordshire Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Manchester
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Manchester Living Index

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Hertfordshire

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,499

/mo nomad

Manchester

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,499

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hertfordshire and in Manchester

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Hertfordshire and in Manchester actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,499 in Hertfordshire versus $2,499 in Manchester.

Hertfordshire $2,499
Manchester $2,499

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,774 in Hertfordshire versus $3,623 in Manchester.

Hertfordshire $3,774
Manchester $3,623

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,049 in Hertfordshire versus $4,747 in Manchester.

Hertfordshire $5,049
Manchester $4,747

Monthly costs are close between Hertfordshire and Manchester; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hertfordshire 84% above, Manchester 84% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.87 £20.07

$20.22 £15.10

32.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.1 £60.6

$86.0 £64.2

-5.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.61 £7.93

$10.74 £8.02

-1.21%

Cappuccino

$5.14 £3.84

$4.68 £3.49

9.83%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 £1.80

$2.44 £1.82

-0.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 £1.56

$1.62 £1.21

28.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.50 £4.11

$7.78 £5.81

-29.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.62 £4.20

$6.70 £5.00

-16.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 £1.14

$1.51 £1.12

1.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 £1.43

$1.88 £1.41

1.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.78 £2.07

$1.94 £1.45

43.30%

Eggs

$3.64 £2.71

$4.08 £3.04

-10.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.83 £5.85

$9.61 £7.17

-18.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.38 £5.51

$8.98 £6.71

-17.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.87 £12.59

$15.41 £11.51

9.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 £2.45

$3.09 £2.31

6.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 £1.15

$1.58 £1.18

-2.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.03 £2.26

$2.95 £2.20

2.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.40 £2.54

$3.35 £2.50

1.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 £0.87

$1.51 £1.13

-23.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 £1.36

$1.35 £1.01

34.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 £0.94

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 £0.97

$1.23 £0.92

5.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.92 £15.62

$24.05 £17.95

-13.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.09 £7.53

$10.88 £8.13

-7.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 £1.50

$2.43 £1.81

-17.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 £1.46

$3.17 £2.36

-38.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.54 £2.64

$2.73 £2.04

29.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.7 £64.0

$108 £80.6

-20.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.05 £3.02

$4.52 £3.37

-10.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.94 £2.94

$2.22 £1.66

77.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.16 £24.02

$30.82 £23.01

4.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 £1.50

$2.14 £1.60

-6.54%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$38.3K £28.6K

$38.5K £28.7K

-0.32%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$39.8K £29.7K

$40.0K £29.9K

-0.63%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$158 £118

$252 £189

-37.58%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$17.19 £12.83

$16.23 £12.12

5.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.88 £32.77

$39.58 £29.56

10.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.49 £34.71

$42.67 £31.86

8.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.05 £13.48

Cinema Ticket

$13.52 £10.10

$13.44 £10.04

0.60%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,620 £1,210

$1,494 £1,116

8.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.4K £16.7K

$19.7K £14.7K

13.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.28 £35.30

$83.5 £62.4

-43.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.28 £29.33

$42.97 £32.09

-8.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.0 £55.3

$95.0 £70.9

-22.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 £84.0

$106 £79.1

6.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,787 £1,334

$1,785 £1,333

0.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,307 £976

$1,222 £913

6.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,899 £2,164

$2,930 £2,188

-1.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,311 £1,725

$1,899 £1,418

21.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,001 £3,734

$4,668 £3,486

7.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,819 £2,852

$4,397 £3,283

-13.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,256 £2,431

$3,395 £2,535

-4.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.21

4.82

8.09%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Hertfordshire: October 24, 2026

Last update for Manchester: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Hertfordshire

$1.3K 52.3%

Manchester

$1.2K 48.9% 6.5% $85

Eating Out

Hertfordshire

$365 14.6%

Manchester

$319 12.8% 12.8% $47

Groceries & Markets

Hertfordshire

$288 11.5%

Manchester

$299 12% 3.8% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hertfordshire

$219 8.8%

Manchester

$308 12.3% 41% $90

Getting Around

Hertfordshire

$124 5%

Manchester

$134 5.4% 8.8% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Hertfordshire

$123 4.9%

Manchester

$147 5.9% 19.9% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Hertfordshire

$74 2.9%

Manchester

$70 2.8% 5.4% $4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,787 in Hertfordshire and $1,785 in Manchester. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manchester pays 4% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $81 in Hertfordshire vs $86 in Manchester for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $299 per month, with Hertfordshire cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Hertfordshire

🇬🇧 Manchester

🕒 Local time

01:39 1:39 AM

Same time as Hertfordshire

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

33,990

503,100

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.34 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

1 GBP = 1.34 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Hertfordshire Manchester 220 km

From you

Hertfordshire
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Hertfordshire vs Manchester: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, salaries run 4% lower in Hertfordshire. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,787 in Hertfordshire versus $1,785 in Manchester. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Hertfordshire runs roughly 21% less than in Manchester. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Manchester. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Hertfordshire wins on affordability, Manchester on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.